Once Upon A Time
by Karkalicious769
Summary: In order to end their war with a truce, the kingdoms of Derse and Prospit agree to marry off their youngest children, Rose and John. But when the meeting doesn't go as Prospit planned and Derse gets away with their best generals, Prospit is going to have to find another way to win, and fast. Even if it means the ultimate sacrifice.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Just a random thing I wanted to write. Depending on how well it goes, I'll probably write more.**

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 **Inside the Prospitian Castle, John's P.O.V.**

Your name is John Egbert, and right now, you think that the sun is too bright.

With a heavy sigh, a sound that becomes more and more regular with each passing day, you consider dragging your sorry self out of bed as the sunlight dances through your bedroom window and into your eyes. You squint against the harsh brightness and groan. It wasn't your favorite way to wake up, but it beat having Jade drag you out of bed, so you'd take it.

Someone knocks on your door, and you yawn and stand up, that way you at least look awake, before giving a groggy, "Come in."

The door opens, and Karkat Vantas, your personal, and also favorite, knight steps in, surveying you with displeasure. You grin and wave at him, grabbing some nice-looking clothes, from where ever you can, to put on. "John prince-of-fucking-everything Egbert." He begins, "You know, we really should find a way to get you up before, oh, I don't know... maybe sooner than an hour before the goddamn princess of Derse is supposed to be here?" He shrieks, voice getting higher and louder with every word, and your heart jumps in your chest.

You glance out the window and notice that, indeed - based on the sun's position - it was only an hour before noon, which was when the princess of Derse, Rose you think her name is, was supposed to be here so that both of your parents could work out the engagement details. The event that would decide the fate of both your kingdoms, finally end the war, and possibly cure cancer and heartbreak (with the way your parents fussed about it), and you were _late_.

Panicking, you turn away from Karkat, your blue eyes scanning the room for anything that could help you. "Fuck, that's today? I completely forgot!" You yell, tearing through your cabinet to find _something_ your mother would approve of you wearing in the presence of royalty.

Karkat rolls his eyes from behind you, giving a "no shit" look to the back of your head. "Yeah, I noticed."

You ignore him, having reduced your room to the aftermath of a great war in less than a minute and not any where near done. "Karkat~" You whine, falling to your knees and pulling on the bottom of his shirt like you used to do when you were little. Well, little- _er_. There _was_ only a five year age gap between the two of you, him being older, of course. "Can you _**please**_ help me get ready~?"

Karkat scoffs at your behavior, gripping you by the arm and pulling you back up into a standing position. "If you're going to beg, _at least_ ask someone whose _job_ it is to bathe you." He snaps, though he doesn't seem genuinely upset.

You just pout.

He sighs, throwing his head back in that dramatic Karkat way, and turns back to the hallway, gripping your door frame as he yells down the hall. "Jade! I think you better take this!"

You gasp in horror, wide eyed, and pull on his arm. "Karkat, _please_ don't tell me you just did that!"

He says nothing for a long moment, taking in your pleading gaze and pathetic stance before, completely monotone, he says, "Fine, I won't," He inclines his head towards the sound of running footsteps. "I'll let _her_ do that instead."

Then he yanks his arm from your grip, heading down to the Great Hall as you call after him. "No! Don't leave me with her!" You try to grab him again, but before you can, someone with black hair and jade eyes blocks your path, wrapping her arms around your skinny frame and squeezing.

"Aw, come on, John, I'm not that bad!" Jade says with a giggle. "But I am going to have to be rough on you today, on account of you woke up so late." She takes a deep breath and smiles wider, ushering you back into the room and shutting and locking the door behind you.

You gulp nervously, quickly trying to calculate the likelihood of you surviving the seven story jump out your window. The chances aren't good, but hey- what's life without a little risk?

Seeing the look on your face, she smiles reassuringly, not that it helps in the least. "Calm down, John, we're siblings. That means it's _my_ job to take care of _you_ , and vice versa." Jade says, throwing open your cabinets and inspecting the material as you slowly inch towards the window.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it, though." You mutter. Honestly, you loved your sister, really, but just because she was one year older than you - 17 to your 16 - she felt the need to treat you like some fragile figurine or a pet, instead of the real person you are. And whenever you tried to bring this up, she'd just laugh and brush it aside like it wasn't a big deal.

You hated it.

Seeming to have not heard you - as usual - Jade closes your cabinets and turns back to you. "Well, we'll have to get the servants to tailor one of dad's outfits for you, but until that's done..." She grins in a way that makes your stomach curl, and one foot is already out the window before, much too happily for this early in the morning, she grabs you be the ear and pulls you towards the bathroom. "Bath time!"

This was going to be a long 55 minutes.

 **Outside the Dersite Castle, Dave's P.O.V.**

Your name is Dave Strider, not that you didn't already know that.

During the entirety of the past hour, your mom has been fussing and crying over Rose so much that you're half convinced she's being sent off to war or something equally ridiculous for someone of her status, instead of just visiting the neighboring kingdom for a quick arrangement. Then again, your mother has never really done well with the idea of 'her precious babies', drifting more than a couple yards from her side.

Not that you could complain.

It did get annoying sometimes, but between her unwillingness to leave you and Rose alone, and your father's absolute indifference to spending time with anyone except his wife, you think it balanced out nicely.

Still, it was going to be one hell of a day when Rose actually did get married and had to leave for good instead of just for the day. And if the Queen threw a fit, so did _everyone else_. You're not even joking when you say that the towns people here _adore_ Rose and you. And you honestly have no clue why. You suppose you're nice enough when you pass someone on the street during your weekly hunting trip, but in the long run, you're pretty much the biggest jack ass you know, quickly followed by Rose. Then again, it's not like you know enough people to reach an accurate conclusion.

You glance over at your little sister - younger by two years, making her 16 and you 18 - who is still being smothered by mom. But now, instead of crying, Roxy's taken to fixing Rose's dress and adjusting her makeup. Rose doesn't look too happy, but you suppose you wouldn't either if you were forced to marry a stranger from the country you were at war with.

You'd be especially unhappy if, like Rose, you had no idea that the wedding arrangements were fake.

Today was a special day. One the kingdom of Prospit wouldn't soon forget, that's for sure.

"David," Your father says as he comes up from behind you, placing a hand on your shoulder. "Go wait in the carriage while I... attempt to release your sister from Roxy's grasp." He tells you, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

Raising an eyebrow, you decide to play along. "Are you sure, dad? It seems like a highly risky move. Surely, you could at least use some backup."

Your dad laughs, ruffling your hair and pushing you behind him. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, but it'll be easier to plan a sneak attack alone." He nods towards the carriage, a dark ebony vehicle bought brand new just for today, and you nod back.

One of the black horses that will be pulling you snorts, and you take that as your cue to get safely inside.

You climb inside, shutting the pathetic excuse for a door behind you. Why it opened inward was beyond you - such a ba design choice - but you could worry about switching the hinges later. You give yourself a moment to get comfortable before pulling the curtain covering the window back and looking outside.

While your mom has her back turned, dad leans in a taps on Rose's shoulder to get her attention, whispering something in her ear before her movements can attract mom's attention again. Slowly, a grin begins to form on her face, and she gives dad a nod, turning towards the carriage.

You have the good sense to move back.

Dad moves up behind mom, tapping her on the shoulder once. She turns around, irritated, and looks about ready to lecture Dirk's ear off for interrupting her train of thought, which most likely had something to do with what she should name the grandchildren she thought she was getting. Dirk was having none of that, though, and he grabs her by the waist, dipping her so close to the ground that you half-thought he was going to drop her and run, before kissing her so passionately that even Rose turns away.

Or maybe that was the signal.

Either way, Rose is dashing towards you at full speed, and you brace yourself against the far wall as she throws the door open, scrambling inside, followed immediately by dad.

"Quickly! Go!" He yells at the carriage driver, and with a snap of the reigns, the three of you lurch into motion. On a whim, you glance out the window, and the view doesn't disappoint.

Mom didn't look happy _at all_ , with her smudged makeup, rumpled clothing, and death glare. The three of you were going to be in _so much_ _ **trouble**_ when you got home.

But first things first, you had to survive inside Prospit long enough to kill the prince and princess, grab the highest ranking knights, and get _the fuck_ out of there.

Easy. Child's play, really. Yeah...

Today was going to be a long day.

 **Inside the Prospitian Castle, Jade's P.O.V.**

Your name is Jade Harley, and as you watch the servants shove John into an outfit appropriate for a meeting royalty, you once again pause to wonder why you have a different last name from both your mother and your father. You suppose it's not a big deal, after all, a name is only what you call someone, but it's still interesting to you. John doesn't really seem to care in the least about it though, which makes sense. You had always been more curious about things happening inside the castle, whereas he had always cared more about the outside world.

Not that either of you had any idea what was out there, aside from the faint layout the maps in dad's study gave you.

You didn't mind not knowing a lot about that, though. You were perfectly happy with only worrying about John and whether or not mom and dad had any plans to marry you off as well. It had been a close call, or so you heard. You were going to be married to the Derse prince, Dave, if you recall correctly, but the Dersites had been insistent on their daughter being married, and your parents hadn't cared either way.

And as bad as you felt for John, you were glad. You wouldn't say that you were in love with anyone else, per say, but infidelity was a crime punishable by death, and you definitely had your eye on a certain knight…

With a huff, John walks up to you, arms crossed and pouting. You can't help but giggle at the sight of him. He was wearing enough ruffles to decorate the average dress you had been forced into over the years, and looking so uncomfortable that you almost wanted to check to see if they had shoved him into a corset as well.

He glares at you and crosses his arms, not amused. "It's not funny, Jade! This outfit is absolute _torture_!"

You just laugh harder, bending over slightly and wiping away a tear. "J-John!" You take a deep breath. "You look ridiculous!" You force out, gasping for air as you laugh harder and harder. "H-Holy shit!"

Normally, you would have laughed longer, but you're unfortunately interrupted when one of the maids, Porrim you think, or something similar, knocks on the door. "Your Highnesses," She says, giving the two of you a slight curtsy. "Your parents have 'requested' your presence downstairs." The way she said 'requested' tells you that they were probably flipping the fuck out because, not only were the two of you out of her sight, but the Dersite princess was to arrive any moment. One glance out the window proves that, what with their carriage being within viewing distance of the castle. You know you weren't really supposed to use your magic in the house, but it _was_ an emergency...

You grab John's arm, and before he can utter so much as a, "wha-", you've used your witch powers to teleport the both of you.

Teleporting, as you have found out over the years, is very draining and uncomfortable. It feels like you're being forced through a tube much to narrow to hold you, and while you're in there, you can't breathe, making it very difficult to hold on to anything. So when you feel John slipping through your grasp for one heart racing moment, you grab his shirt collar and pull him closer and-

Just like that, it's over, and you're struggling to stay on your feet as you and John land in the Great Foyer. However, John wasn't as lucky as you, and landed on the ground in a heap.

Your parents don't question it, your dad just helps you up, and your mom begins fussing over John's hair, straightening his collar while she's at it. Luckily, all damage inflicted while teleporting only happens in your mind, so when you feel the fabric of John's collar in your hands and you look down to see, it's no surprise to find that your hands are empty. You're used to the strange occurrences by now.

"Places, places," Your mom says, moving you into place on her right side, and John to the left of dad. "They'll be here in just a moment," She says, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear and just freaking out in general. You swear you can hear her heart pounding.

"Jane, dear, you must calm down." Your dad says, taking his wife's hands in his own. "You know stress isn't good for the baby." He drifts one hand down and presses it against her stomach lovingly, where a slight bump was just beginning to form. Had an outsider looked at her, they might have suspected that she ate a little too much cake, which she did, but your mom was just pregnant again. Your only hope was that she didn't have another miscarriage. You and John had almost thought she wasn't going to recover after three of them within the span of a year.

"Oh, Jake, I know, I just-" She sighs, leaning against his chest for support. "I want everything to be perfect, you know?"

He runs a hand through her hair, shushing her softly as he places a kiss on her forehead. "I know, dearest, but just try please. For me?"

She looks up and gives a quick nod before they press their lips together for a short but sweet kiss, and you smile. One thing that had always made you happy was how utterly in love your parents were with each other, even though it was an arranged marriage, and even after after all these years, and the stress of managing an entire kingdom. Their love was the kind people wrote stories around and sang about, and it was something you desperately wanted, even if it was a bit unrealistic. But that could wait until you were a little older.

"I now present His Royal Majesty and Grand Ruler of Derse, Dirk Strider and Her Royal Highness, the lovely princess, Rose Lalonde." The announcer, Kanaya you think, says from the doorway, drawing your attention from your thoughts and instantly making you stand up a bit straighter.

It was time to meet the in-laws.

You hoped they were friendly, otherwise, this was going to be a long rest-of-your-life.

 **Inside the Dersite Carriage, Rose's P.O.V.**

Your name is Rose Lalonde, and you're pretty sure something is up.

The entire carriage ride, you've been staring out the window, bored out of your skull. Sure, the idea of ending a war was exciting enough, but you soon found out that the reality was very dull. A lot of meetings, and riding around in carriages, and struggling to remember the names of nobles whom you, quite frankly, didn't give a damn about. And all while wearing dresses so tight that you wanted to rip them off and just _breathe_.

But this carriage ride was different.

Though you were wearing an uncomfortable dress, and struggling to remember if the prince was named 'John' or 'Jake', you kept noticing something out of the corner of your eye. Your dad and Dave kept… whispering to each other. If that was too loud though, they'd switch to bizarre hand motions for a period of time before switching back when even _they_ couldn't understand what the other was trying to say.

It took some doing, and some straining of the ears, but you managed to make out a few words. Something about a 'fire', the 'heir', and a 'cat'? You didn't get it, and whenever you would try and move closer, they'd both clam up until you begrudgingly went back to your position by the window.

You're about to point out how ridiculous they're being and just start yelling at them, when you notice the carriage slowing down. "We have arrived at the Prospitian castle, Your Majesty." The carriage driver announces, and you wince. No matter how strong he was, or how many war medals he earned, the captain of the royal guard, Equius Zahhak, always made you uncomfortable. Even if his brother breed all the horses to perfection, designed this carriage, and no matter how pure his bloodline was, you would never like him.

He just made you so… uneasy.

You didn't want to waste your time thinking about it any longer though, and when the carriage stops completely, you push both Dave and your dad aside and step out, ignoring the polite help Equius offers you.

The fresh air is nice, and immediately calms you down. If there was one thing you'd be perfectly okay with admitting, it was that Prospit had _much_ cleaner air than Derse, which was strange, because they were both on the same island. You've never told anyone, but when you were younger, you used to sneak across the border between Derse and Prospit just to taste the fresh air. That is, before they put up that solid brick wall to separate them. You recall once having a friend on the other side, a nice, quiet girl that was very similar to yourself, but you don't remember her name, just lovely green eyes.

Shaking yourself from your memories, you give Dave a soft nudge with your elbow, gaining his attention. "What's the prince's name again?" You hiss quietly. He gives you a 'are you fucking kidding me' before breaking out into giggles, trying to muffle the sound behind his hand. You elbow him again, harder. "Just tell me!"

He takes a few deep breaths and stands back up properly, still grinning. "It's John, Rose. John. Hey, aren't you two supposed to be married or something?"

This time you step on his foot.

"I now present His Royal Majesty and Grand Ruler of Derse, Dirk Strider and Her Royal Highness, the lovely princess, Rose Lalonde." A female voice says, and on instinct, you automatically stop trying to strangle Dave and stand up straight, a pleasant smile on your face as the door swings open, revealing the Prospitian royal family.

They look nice, you think, just like their palace. Yours was bigger for sure, but they really paid attention to detail over here, and you find yourself wanting to discover every inch of the fantastic moldings and intricate designs. The same could be said of their outfits. The queen, and who you assumed was the princess, both wore yellow ball gowns with tiny swirls embroidered on the skirts in a slightly darker tone. It was something that could be easily missed, but you had a fondness for things like that, and you make a mental note to start having your dresses made like that.

The announcer, whom you happen to spot out of the corner of your eye, bows to the queen and turns to leave. For a moment, you have the urge to go after her. There was something about the girl that was familiar in the worst way, and you wanted to get a better look at her. But then she's gone, and your dad is shaking hands with the king.

"It's lovely to have you here." The king, Jake, says, beaming at your dad. "Jane and I are very excited that we've finally come to a truce." Your dad nods along, smiling, just letting Jake speak for now. He drops his hands, and Jake turns around, gesturing for the young boy, who appeared to be about your age, to come closer. "This is my son, John." Jake says, gripping him my the shoulder and giving him a little nudge forward.

Your dad takes your hand, guiding you forward until you and John are standing directly in front of each other. "This is my daughter, Rose." He introduces you.

You hold you hand out, as was expected for a lady like you, and he takes your hand carefully, as if afraid he'll break it, before pressing a slight kiss to you skin. It was nice, and he was nice, handsome, even, but John wasn't doing anything for you. Maybe you were still too young, but no matter how attractive he was, you just didn't feel anything for John. Then again, it wasn't like you had gotten to know him, yet. Maybe after that, your feelings would change.

"It's nice to meet you, John." You say softly as your fathers chat away about arrangements just a few feet away.

He nods in return, fiddling with the cuffs of his jacket. "Yes, I've been looking forward to it for a while." John shares, before looking up at your suspicious gaze. The wedding plan had happened no more than two weeks ago. That hardly counted as 'a while'.

Seeing the look on your face, he hurries to explain. "O-Oh, I just meant that, well, I never really get to meet royalty, just a bunch of boring nobles, so I was just hoping that someday I could meet you and your brother." He says, laughing awkwardly. "I know it probably sounds kind of creepy, but yeah…"

At this, you finally smile. "It's not creepy at all." You assure him, taking both of his hands in your own. "I've kinda felt the same way," You admit, and he smiles at you. "And if you want to meet my brother, he's right-" You look over your shoulder to where Dave is supposed to be, only to find the spot-

Empty.

"That's weird." You mutter. "I could've sworn he was right here…"

"Is something wrong?" John asks, putting a concerned hand on your shoulder. For a second, you're about to tell him, but something stops you. It's nothing but a faint flutter in your chest, but suddenly you have the urge to push John out of the way-

Something glints out of the corner of your eye and, without thinking, you shove John _hard_ , just as an arrow flashes by right where his head used to be. You suck in a deep breath, and the entire room goes silent as they all eye the arrow sticking out of the wall.

Then someone screams, and all Hell breaks loose.

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 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed chapter one! Leave a lovely review, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I honestly wasn't sure if I wanted to continue this, but then I thought, "fuck it", so here we are. Lucky you.**

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 **Dave's P.O.V., Inside The Prospitian Castle**

Your name is Dave Strider, and you're under a lot of pressure right now. You only have a few minutes to get into position. Your dad had made that perfectly clear. Luckily, time was always on your side. You know that not many people have powers anymore, but luckily, you are not one of them. It's different for everybody, or so you've been told. Rose's powers were pretty useless as far as you could tell. She could see into the future, but not really, it was more like a feeling, or at least, that's how she described it. Just a feeling that a certain thing will lead to the best possible outcome. And your (much more useful) power, just so happened to be control over Time. Not that you enjoyed time travel in the slightest..

It was uncomfortable, took up a lot of power, and had so many rules and restrictions that it was a wonder you ever managed to keep track of them all. But then again, it wasn't like you ever listened to those rules anyway. Honestly, it was a miracle the universe hadn't collapsed in on itself yet from the lack of fucks you give about anomalies.

Still, an order was an order, and as you see the large - but not quite as large as yours - doors of the Prospitian castle beginning to open, you slip aside. No one saw you, save dad, who gave you a curt nod. You nod back, watching as he and Rose enter the castle without you and waiting until the door slammed shut before making your move.

You make your way to the carriage and, after giving a small salute to Equius, grab one of the few bags you had packed - the red one, which is yours - and swing it over your shoulder.

 _Here goes everything_ , you think to yourself and, in a showy display of red flashing light, disappear.

And just like that, you're outside of Time. It's an odd feeling, not aging at all, but you quickly adjust. Beneath you, the flow of Time stretches as far as you can see, like a river, only endless. There are a lot of curves in the stream, places where it's clogged or redirected or trickling thin, and you wonder how anyone could ever believe that Time flowed in a straight line. You stick your hand into the flow, disrupting it for only a second until it adapts, simply flowing around you instead. You shiver at the cold feeling of a flowing material you can't quite grab, and pull yourself into the stream just a mere ten minutes in the past from where you started.

You stumble as you hit the ground where the carriage would be soon, but straighten up easy enough. Luckily, no one seemed to be around at the moment, and you sneak inside with ease. They must grease the door hinges or something, because they open without a single groan in protest. Trying not to smile, you quickly go left and climb the short set of stairs that lead up. You're not entirely sure where you're going, but as long as it's high and has a good view of the Great Hall, you don't really care.

You find the perfect spot, a small balcony attached to the center of the left wall, and crouch down not a second too soon. Just as your blonde head ducks out of sight, you hear the sound of hurried heels on marble, and a women enters the room, a man who you assumed was her husband behind her.

"Jane, there's no need to run, we have plenty of time." He says, trying to soothe the women you now knew was the queen.

"Eight minutes until noon is not 'plenty of time'." She huffs back, stressed beyond belief. "And where is John? He was supposed to already be here."

He bends down, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose and effectively shutting her up. "Don't fret, Jane, I'm sure he's being taken care of by Jade, and you know she wouldn't let him be late."

Neither speak again, Jane seeming to decide that her husband was right, and from your vantage point, you lower the arrow you had been aiming so carefully at her head. You had pulled it out just a second ago on an impulse, but now you (unfortunately) have to wait. The prince and princess, and also possibly the head guards, were the priority here. The king and queen are more like bonus points or trick shots.

You wait a few minutes, using your extreme levels of self-control to stay absolutely still as Jane and Jake grow more and more concerned with each passing second their children don't show up. Finally, _finally_ , they send a maid up to get the heirs, and you straighten once more from your relaxed position above them.

Suddenly, there's a loud tearing sound, and a brown haired girl stumbles out of thin air, one hand grasping a boy's collar briefly before gravity takes over and she's forced to let go, lest she be pulled down as well. You tense as the hole in Space she just ripped open stitches itself back together. Space and Time are opposites, you knew that much, and just the _feeling_ you got when she used her powers was _unbearable_. It made you want to rip out your eardrums and beat her with them.

Once you've recovered, you glance out the nearby window to see past you stepping out of the carriage. He doesn't notice you, but then again, he wasn't supposed to. You hear the door open and the announcer introduce your dad and Rose, all the while your eyes stay trained on past you. He grabs his bag, the same one you're holding now, and disappears in a flash of red light.

Satisfied, you turn back to the Great Hall, where your dad is chatting with the king and queen while Rose talks to the prince. You see his sister, Jade you think, clutching her temples with a grimace. You were right, she's a Space user, definately. Still, as much as you want to kill her now, you had orders to shoot for John first. Since he was the prince and all, he was the one his parents were counting on to take over when they were dead. You're not sure if he has any powers; because if he does, he sure as hell doesn't seem like it. He gives you that _feeling_ , like there's more to him than meets the eyes, and yet, you can't sense anything from him. It's like he's nothing and everything at the same time.

Irritated, you pull your bow up again, aiming carefully at John's head. You only had one shot at this, and then the element of surprise was ruined. You suck in a deep breath, steady your hands, and let the arrow fly.

 **Jade's P.O.V., Inside The Prospitian Castle**

Your name is Jade Harley and you think someone just tried to kill your brother. No, scratch that. Someone _definitely_ tried to assassinate him. The arrow buried in the wall is all too real. You had thought something like this would happen eventually, but not to John. Not your little brother. You promised you'd always protect him, always make sure he was safe. This couldn't be happening. It was just like your dream. Dreams weren't supposed to be real. They couldn't be real. Not now.

Your mother screams, a blood-curdling cry that you're sure isn't good for the baby, and pulls you from your thoughts. Instantly, the room is flooded with guards. It's a mad house, the guards grabbing for anyone they can while at the same time everyone is trying to avoid them. You jerk out of someone's grasp on impulse, your eyes scanning the ceiling rapidly, trying to spot the shooter, and-

There!

He's running along the balcony, a quiver full of arrows swung over his shoulder, and a bow in his hand still posed to shoot. He's blonde, and you scowl. A Derse agent, of course. You knew you shouldn't have trusted this 'peace marriage'.

You search the room for a weapon and, to your delight, find a sword. Well, by 'find', you mean you took it from one of the new recruits while he was trying to 'convince' your mother to leave the room. Sword in hand, you turn back to the balcony and lock gazes with the assassinator.

You growl, making your displeasure obvious, though his expression doesn't change. He's wearing shades, and it aggravates you that you can't see his face, not clearly. You'd never be able to recognize him in a crowd if he took those things off, especially considering how Dersites all look nearly exactly the same.

You're still a little dizzy from your last Jump, but you still have enough energy to get up there, assuming he stays still of course. You prepare to rip through Space, just as he begins pulling his bow back. At first, he aims at you, and you grin. He'd fire the arrow and you'd Jump up there, catching him completely off guard. You grin, and maybe that's what tipped him off to your plan, because the next thing you know, he's swung around and is pointing at a new target.

John.

Your eyes go wide with fear as he lets the arrow fly, sending it straight at your brother. He should already be out of the room, you realize, but then again, so should you. You drop the sword and, through cation to the wind, make a break for John as Time seems to slow down. You foolishly hope you'll reach him in time, but logic dictates otherwise. He's too far, and the room is too cramped for you to Jump.

"John!" You call out, running at him. He doesn't hear you. Someone else does, though. You watch, helpless, as your mother pulls her hand away from a guard and lunges at John, shoving him out of the way just in time.

But the arrow didn't miss completely.

Your mother stands in John's place, hands shaking as she gently prods the arrow sticking through her chest. She doesn't look in pain, just bewildered as to why exactly she's bleeding so heavily. You think you would have felt better if she had screamed, cried, groaned in agony, maybe showed some signs of being brutally murdered, but she just collapses to the ground, blood still pouring from where the arrow connected with her heart. She didn't scream, but your dad did. He falls to his knees, hands shaking, and eyes wider than you thought possible as he stares at the body of the woman he loved.

Something inside you broke at the sight of it. Your father, shoving aside the guards who were trying to pull him away and grabbing Jane, holding her close and trying desperately to stop the bleeding through his tears. One of his hands drifts down, resting over her belly as though waiting for a kick, some sign that his wife didn't die for nothing, but even the tiny heartbeat of his unborn child is gone. You can tell from the way his eyes look. Once so bright and cheerful, your dad's eyes are now a muddy, dark color that hurts to look at.

You can barely look away, and you know that he's going to be there for hours even as you force yourself to Jump up to the balcony. You look around frantically, having forgotten your sword but still knowing that you needed to do _something_ to avenge your mother. Anything to make her death worth something. But there's nothing.

The Dersite shooter is gone, and so is your youth.

You kneel there, on the balcony for the longest time, staring down at your hands. They're no different than when you looked at them earlier that morning, but you feel as though they're coated in blood. You know that you'll never be the same know that you won't be able to rest until you find the blonde murdered and inflict upon him the pain he caused your mom.

You want to kill him.

 **John's P.O.V., Just Outside The Prospitian Castle**

Your name is John Egbert, and you really wish you knew what was going on. You're really not sure what just happened. You had just been talking to Rose when suddenly someone fires an arrow at you, and after that it's all kind of a blur. Karkat entered the room and was trying to get you to leave, but you were refusing to go. Then you think your mom pushed you out of the way of something, and Karkat picked you up and wouldn't put you down or let you look back.

"Karkat, why can't we go back?" You ask him, feeling like a child as he carries you bridal style through one of the several escape passages your castle had. But no matter how much you wined, begged, kicked, or pleaded, he wouldn't put you down, so you just decided to settle in for the ride.

He clenches his teeth, not in annoyance, but with some other emotion you can't decipher. "John, now is not the time for stupid fucking questions." He tells you almost immediately. "All you need to know is that we're leaving _now_."

You scowl, but you know there's no getting around Karkat's ridiculous levels of stubbornness and you fall silent. He seems relieved that you've quieted, and you're relieved that the exit of the tunnel is near. When you reach the stairs leading up, Karkat finally puts you down, and you cheer mentally. It takes a few seconds for you to get used to walking again, but you'd experienced worse, and you're bounding after Karkat sooner than he'd probably like. You feel the urge to say something, break the heavy silence between the two of you, but nothing comes to mind. Before you can say something dumb anyway, Karkat stops without warning and you bump into him.

You pull back, confused and mildly irritated at the interruption, but before you can ask what's wrong, Karkat turns to you. There's a wild look in his eyes that you don't recognize, and he gets down on one knee, the hands on your shoulders forcing you to look at him. "John, I need you to understand something." He hisses, eyes darting around nervously, as though someone could be watching you. You nod slowly, feeling uneasy. "First, not everyone is going to respect your birthright." He tells you, and you resist the urge to roll your eyes. Of course they wouldn't. You may have had a sheltered childhood, but even you understood that. "They might try to kill you over it." Karkat continues. That regains your attention. "And I want you to be ready when that day comes." You try to interupt, but he shushes you and you obey. "Second, no one here protects you against their will." Something flickers in his eyes at that, an emotion you aren't familiar with on Karkat. You'd seen that same look in your parent's eyes before, but there was something great about seeing it on Karkat. "All of the guards here protect you and your family because we _care_ about you, John." He smiles fondly at you. "I am _your_ knight. Not by chance or family lineage, but because I love you. And I want you to understand that."

"I love you too, Karkat." You mutter with a shaky voice. You had always wanted him to say that outloud, but now that he was, you couldn't help but feel like he'd never get to say it again.

"Good." He takes a deep breath and ruffles your hair, standing back up. "Now, I want you to head back the way we came. Take a left at the first branch in the path you reach and try to find Gamzee. Don't look back, alright?"

"But Karkat-" You begin, but he cuts you off.

"Just do it, John." He snaps, eyes hard and determined. You nod, backing up slowly down the stairs before you turn and run. You're not sure what Karkat's planning, but you know you don't like it. You think over what he told you one more time. What was it he said? 'Find Gamzee'? Of course you knew who that was - Gamzee was the most advanced mage in Prospit. His specialty was potions, but despite his fame, almost no one ever saw him. You wonder what ties Karkat has to him as you run. Up ahead, there's a branch in the path; one leading back the way you came, and one you hadn't noticed before that goes left.

You start down the left pathway when something stops you. Why exactly were you running away? Karkat had never run away when you needed it, so why would you? Why were you even listening to his orders? Aren't you the prince and rightful heir to the Prospitian throne?

You turn around, running back towards Karkat. Whatever it was, you could help Karkat fight it off. You didn't have powerful defense magic or anything, but you had been taking sword lessons from him ever since you were nine. You find yourself smiling as you get closer. Yeah, you could definitely help.

As you approach the stairs though, you begin to slow. Above, you can hear the sound of swords clashing against swords, and the occasional grunt of pain from the fighter. You move slowly, swallowing your fear and forcing yourself to keep moving. The exit is an open arch that's covered by vines so thick that one wouldn't be able to tell there was a hole there unless they already knew where it was.

You pull away a handful of vines, just enough to see what was going on without alerting anyone to your presence. What you see almost makes you blow your cover.

On the ground, there's about four men, all of them wearing Dersite armor and all of them bleeding from a grotesque wound on their body. Several wounds, in some cases. One is still gasping for air, and part of you wants to help him, but you know he's too far gone. Still on their feet, there's two other Derse knights, both of them battling Karkat. He has minor cuts all over his body. None of them are serious, not yet at least, but the sight still makes your blood boil.

One of the knights still standing - a ridiculously muscular man who wasn't even wearing the proper armor - growls, trying once more to bring the butt of his sword down on Karkat's head. You wait for Karkat to block - an anxious three seconds that feel more like three years - but he doesn't. Instead, the hilt makes contact and Karkat lets out a low groan, his eyes rolling up in his head before he collapses on the ground. The big man who hits him pulls a sack from Lord knows where, and begins trying to force Karkat inside while the other one ties his wrists together. Neither man notices you, though.

You're frozen in shock, watching as Karkat's limp body is tossed around like it's nothing. You know you're scared, it's the reason you haven't moved yet after all, but above that, you feel a new emotion taking over your senses.

Rage.

You don't move for another few seconds, staring as the men begin to walk away with Karkat over their shoulders, and you clinch your fists in anger. You can't let them take Karkat, not after all he's done for you, not after your entire life was spent with him by your side. You do the only thing you can think of to save him.

You snap.

 **Rose's P.O.V., Inside The Prospitian Castle**

Your name is Rose Lalonde, and you can't _believe_ your dad right now. Here you were, expecting an arranged marriage with a nice guy and what does he do? He tries to kill the guy! For fucks sake, someday he was going to have to start trusting you, and you were going to make sure he got an earful later. That is, if you can get out of this alive.

Guards are everywhere, most of them trying to get the king, queen, and their children out of the room, but plenty are still fighting their way towards you and your dad. You really wish that you knew were your dad was. You'd even settle for Dave. At least they knew how to get out of situations like this whereas you, unfortunately, didn't.

Suddenly, you feel someone grab your forearm and yank you into one of the many hallways branching off of the Great Hall. Instinct tells you to lash out at them, but the smarter part of you tells you to calm down. You let them drag you down the hallway, expecting them to just kill you where you stand, but no hit ever comes. Instead, they shove you into a low-ceiling room that you take to be the kitchen and slam the door, breathing hard. You squint to see in the low light, but they seem to know their way around, and before long, the room is flooded with light.

Now that you can see, you find yourself relaxing as you take in your surroundings. You were right; it is a kitchen. You can see row after row of stone-brick ovens, pots filled to the brim with water, and enough food to feed a small army laid out neatly on the counter. It was probably meant to be your dinner before Dave (you assumed) had to try and murder the royal family.

Satisfied with your analysis, you turn to your savior and begin to thank them, only for the words to stop in your throat. It's the girl from earlier; the familiar one who had introduced you and your father when you first arrived. Her face doesn't bring a name to mind, but you find that she's familiar anyway, and not because you had only seen her ten minutes ago.

Up close, you can finally get a good look at her, though. She has short, sloppily-cut brown hair that hangs limp around her neck, as though she hadn't washed it in weeks. Considering that she was a maid, she probably hadn't. Instead of the fine dress you're wearing, made of the loveliest silks your father could get his hands on, she wears a simple smock, which somehow looks good on her. Her skin is dark, like melted cocoa, and it's smooth in a way that can only be natural. The color goes well with her eyes, which are a beautiful, deep shade of jade. She's a startling contrast to your pale skin and blonde hair, but you find that you like it. You _really_ like it.

"Your highness." She says after a moment, giving you a deep curtsy.

At this, you draw the line, shaking your head. "Just call me Rose, and no more bowing." You insist. "After what happened back there, I am surprised you have not killed me yet." You offer, chuckling weakly at your poor attempt at humor.

This time, she shakes her head. "I saw what you did. You pushed our prince out of the path of the arrow. That grants you the right to speak, at the very least."

You stare at her warily, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. "You are surprisingly well-spoken for a maid. What is your name?"

She goes to bow her head again, but then remembers what you said earlier and straightens back up. "Thank you… Rose." She says slowly, trying your name out hesitantly. "My name is Kanaya Maryam."

You nod. The name is fitting. It suits her, really. "Well… Kanaya." You clear your throat, gesturing at your surroundings. "Why exactly did you bring me to the kitchen?"

She stays silent for a moment, seeming to be staring off into space, before she snaps to attention like your words burned her. "O-Oh. Right. Of course." She mutters rapidly, walking over to a darkened corner of the room you hadn't paid much attention to before. Kanaya mumbles a few things under her breath that sound suspiciously like curses, feeling along the wall for- something.

After a nearly a minute, she lets out a small noise of triumph and presses on of the more worn bricks deeper into the wall. There's a low rumble and the wall begins to change, separating and folding in upon itself until there's a hole just barely big enough for you to fit through where the wall used to be.

You step inside the entrance, running your hands along the arch. It seems sturdy, and you make yet another mental note to have your bedroom door replaced with something like this. That should keep Dave - the nosy little shit - out for a while.

"You should probably get going." Kanaya speaks up, hands behind her back politely. "They are going to start searching rooms soon, and it would probably be better if you were not here when that happens."

The logical part of you knows that she's right, that you should get out before you were hanged for affiliation with an attempted murder against the royal family, but something holds you back. You bite your lip and sigh, turning back to Kanaya. "Thank you." You tell her earnestly, putting a hand on her shoulder and smiling softly.

She returns the smile after a moment of surprise, and you take that as the okay to get going. You step back into the secret exit, and find that there are torches lining the wall. None of them were lit though, so that explained how you missed them so easily. Behind you, the sound of rocks shifting catches your attention, and the dwindling light in the hall makes you realize that Kanaya was closing the entrance.

You sigh in annoyance as the tunnel is plunged into blackness. You feel the need to complain, but then you stop and think about how it could be worse. Well, you could be dead, so there's a plus.

Keeping that in mind, you put your hands against the wall and begin walking, going slowly at first, and then faster as you become more sure of yourself. You're not sure how long it takes to get out of the castle like that; blind and in a place you've never even heard about before, but you manage it. You stumble out of the cave without warning, sucking in greedy gulps of fresh air while your heartbeat gradually begins to slow.

Once your head stops pounding, you take in your surrounds. Behind you is the castle, looking as serene and calm as it did when you arrived, barely even twenty minutes ago. From the outside, one wouldn't even be able to tell that there had just been an attempted murder. In front of you, there's… three carriages? You're not exactly sure why there's three Derse carriages waiting in front of the castle, but then again, you haven't been sure of anything for about two weeks. Not since you found out you were going to be married off to a stranger. But based on the way things are going tonight, you're beginning to think that the honeymoon will have to wait.

"Rose!" Dave yells from his position crouched behind one of the carriages, wide-eyed and panicked."Get down! Now!"

On instinct, you do what he says, ducking behind the nearest carriage without stopping to ask questions first. "Why do I have to-" You begin to say, but are cut off when the entire North tower is blown to bits.

Rubble rains down upon you both, crashing into the carriages you and Dave are hiding behind and rendering them completely useless. That explained them, at least. But one large - and definitely fatal - chunk hits right where you were standing. You look at Dave in awe, and sure enough, past him comes running out of the building, looking rather pleased with himself. Future Dave waves at him frantically, gaining his attention and quickly gesturing to you, the rock, and holding up five fingers. Past Dave seems to understand his jumbled message though, and nods, disappearing in a flash of red light.

"What's going on?" You yell as more of the castle crumbles like a house of cards.

Dave shrugs, eyes darting around frantically for any sign of your father. "How should I know? Who do I look like? Him?" He asks sarcastically, gesturing at his future self who just appeared.

"We have a problem." Future Dave says, looking legitimately worried. "It's-"

"It's John." Your dad interrupts, skidding to a stop next to you with a strangely lumpy sack over his shoulder. "He snapped. He can't control his aspect. Hell, I bet he didn't even know he _had_ any powers at all until now, and he's destroying everything in his path."

You look on, fearful and anxious as the destruction gets closer, and then turn back to your dad. "Then what do we do?" You scream, straining to be heard over the near-deafening winds. For the first time, you're glad your mother made you cut your hair. Had it still been waist-length, it would've been whipping into your face at speeds that would most definitely be painful.

"Get in the carriage!" Future Dave yells, practically shoving you in as he speaks. "You!" He turns to his past self. "Get ready to jump back two minutes!"

Right as he finishes speaking, the front of the building collapses in on itself, sending rocks flying everywhere. You move to push past Dave out of the way, but future Dave holds you back, just in time for past him to jump back right on time. As he always is.

"Sire." Equius says suddenly as he bows to your dad, causing you to wince. You have no idea how such a big guy could be so sneaky. "I apologize for being late, but I was retrieving _this_." He explains and tosses another lumpy sack into the carriage to go with the one your dad had.

"Yes yes, great. Enough with the pleasantries!" Your dad snaps impatiently, waving him away. "Just get us the hell out of here already!"

"Of course, Your Highness." Equius responds immediately, straightening back up and immediately taking his place at the driver's seat.

You barely manage to get the door closed before you lurch into motion, causing you to stumble and fall on one of the bags. Whatever is in it is warm and hard, and you wonder for a moment what could possibly be inside before movement outside attracts your attention.

It's hard to make out any sure details, but whatever is destroying the castle most certainly cannot be John. What you see is a giant ball of wind, spinning around at such a speed that it's practically see through. There's a human-like figure inside of it, and even from this distance, you can tell that whoever it is, is _furious_. Their gaze turns towards the retreating carriage, and you shiver. It was almost as though they are looking directly at you. You push yourself completely off of the sack and take a seat next to Dave, looking through the window mesmerized.

Whatever made them, or John, so angry had to be incredibly important. You just wish you had an idea what it was.

* * *

 **A/N: Whoops, accidentally RoseMary-ed. Not that I regret it. Still, this chapter had a lot of Rose. Next chapter will be more about the Prospitians.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: God damn, it's been a while since I updated this. But what can I say? I was inspired. Also, this chapter is kinda NSFW at the end, just so you know. And trigger warning for those of you who don't like (slight) mental torture.**

* * *

 **Jade's P.O.V., Inside the Prospitian Castle**

Your name is Jade Harley, and you are _pissed beyond words_.

Despite the guards' insistence that you and your father should move to a safer location, neither of you has budged from your spot in the slightest. You, holding your dad up in fear of him collapsing into something unrecognizable, and him, clinging to his dead wife like it's the only thing that matters. All of this is filtered out by your brain. You shut off your emotions, most of them at least, to focus on your goal.

You need to find that Dersite assassin, and exact your revenge.

You try to remember any details about him that could help you find him, but all you can come up with is the searing pain in your temples after you used your powers to rip through Space.

Wait. Of course!

You motion to one of the guards, a newbie willing to do anything to get on your good side, and he shuffles over doubtfully.

Smiling as innocently as you can, you bat your eyelashes and ask, "Are there any Dersite assassins with the power of Time?"

He hesitates. Surely, he shouldn't tell you this, but you know that he values his rank above maintaining the rules. All the newbies do. "Well, Your Majesty, there's no _assassin_ that we're aware of," Your face falls, and he hurries to continue, "b-but there are rumors that the Dersite prince is a Time user."

You nod slowly, the wheels turning in your mind. "Thank you, that'll be all." You say dismissively, and wave him away. He bows deeply to you before moving back, but you're no longer paying attention.

God, you should've known that it was the prince. Dave, you think. You don't really care. All you care about is how you're going to get into the palace and slit his throat.

Carefully, you untangle yourself from your father, not that he notices. He just clings yet further to your mother. You force yourself to look away. There's no time to worry about how your family is falling apart. You have more important things to do. Like ending this war.

Or making it ten times worse.

Either way, you soon find yourself standing in the armory. You don't remember arriving, but based on the fact that you want to curl up and take a nap you suppose, you used a fair bit of magic to do so.

You don't need a lot. You unlace your ball gown and, after checking to make sure that no one is around, let it pool to the ground beneath you in an impressive display of silk and satin. You shiver at the feeling of the open breeze on your most personal parts, and hurry to find something suitable to wear.

In the end, you didn't go for the armor. This is a mission of stealth, and heavy metal would only get in the way. Instead, you have put on peasant clothes, a simple pair of cloth pants and a white tunic, and don a green shawl to hide your bow and arrow.

On your way out, the glint of a knife catches your eye. You hesitate, but eventually give in and pick it up. It's well-cared for, and very sharp, so you begin tucking it into your baggy pants, when you pause.

Your long hair is a dead giveaway. Girls aren't supposed to be traveling far from home unless it's for a marriage, and commoners hardly ever leave the town they were born in.

You grab the end of your hair and brush it out with your fingertips. Not even the slightest tangle. With hair like this, you could never pass as a simple common girl. But maybe you could pass as a boy?

You swallow hard, chest heavy with anticipation, and close your eyes as the knife cuts cleanly through your once lovely chestnut hair. The strands fall to the ground in odd clumps, and you force yourself not to look at them. Seeing your hair on the ground, scattered now that they're no longer attached to your scalp, made you realize just how real this war is. Before, it had only ever seemed like a dream to you. Like nothing could penetrate the walls of your home.

You now know that you were gravely mistaken.

Footsteps attract your attention, and you tuck yourself into the darkest corner of the room, doing your best to appear invisible. If you were a Void user, this would be so much easier, but you're not, so you just silently pray that whoever is approaching has bad eyesight.

John steps into the room, and he takes one look at the hair on the floor before he sighs. "Jade, I know you're here. I can feel it." He says quietly, but firmly.

You remain hidden, and would have until he left, but a sudden gust of wind from behind sends you sprawling forward onto the ground. You look back at your hiding spot, amazed. There's nothing but solid wall where you were crouched, so how did he-?

Forgetting yourself for a moment, you take John's hands in yours, eyes bright with excitement. "John!" You cry happily. "You're a Breath user!" You don't know how you missed it before. It's so obvious, now that you're holding his hands. You can feel the energy twisting its way through him, like gusts of wind trapped beneath his skin.

He looks down at this hands, still clasped in yours, and smiles. "Yeah, I guess I am." He surveys your new appearance for a moment, and his smile falls. "And I guess you're leaving. Aren't you?" He asks, but you can tell from his tone that it's not really a question.

You look away, wishing that you hand your hair to cover your face and hide your shame. "Yes, I am. It's a stealth mission; to finally end this war. Or, at least, push the tides in our favor?" You smile sheepishly, but John continues to look unimpressed.

You start to continue (not that there's much else to say) when he cuts you off. "I want to go, too." John says determinedly.

Immediately, you shake your head. "No, John. It's too dangerous. You need to stay here, with dad. He can't lose his entire family in one hour." You bite your lip. "He's not strong enough, John. _I'm_ not strong enough. If something were to happen to you-"

"I'm sixteen, Jade." He interrupts. "You've been babying me my whole life, and I understand that. Really, I do. You're my older sister, and you want to protect me. _But_ ," He adds emphasis to this word, letting you know he's serious, "I'm not a baby any more. I have seven years of sword fighting under my belt, know how to blend in perfectly with commoners, magic powers to back me up, _and_ ," he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of parchment, unraveling it proudly. "I have a map."

You open her mouth to argue, then close it again, processing this latest update like the adult you know you are. For the first time, you can see your brother as something other than the weak, fragile thing he had been as a toddler. You can see the man he grew into while your back was turned. God, how does time pass so fast?

"Alright." You smile softly. "Get out of those ridiculous ruffles and into some proper clothes and we'll head off."

 **Rose's P.O.V., Inside the Dersite Castle**

Your name is Rose Lalonde, and you're beginning to seriously reconsider your 'brilliant' plan to sneak out of the castle and fix the war from the opposing side.

First of all, there's no way you'd ever be able to pass as a commoner. Your skin is too flawless, your hair is too shiny and well-cared for, and your speaking voice is too perfect. You'd be spotted the second you stepped outside the castle, no matter which way you look at it. Not only that, but your sudden disappearance wouldn't be good for the state of the war. Your father would probably assume that you were kidnapped by Prospitians and accelerate his plans far past the point of no return. You know that he and Dave are in the dungeon right now, interrogating the two high-ranking knights they had kidnapped during the fiasco after Dave fired that arrow. You don't know how long it will take for your family to break them, but when they do, victory will be close at hand. And, though you know you should be happy, you don't like it. Not one bit.

You wish that there was an obvious way to end this war peacefully, but you're not sure if that's possible. The war has been going on for so long that nobody's even sure what exactly it was started over any more. Just that on April 13th, almost one-hundred years ago to the day, the Black King and the White King had declared war on each other. You recall that the anniversary of the war is actually in just two weeks. Your dad is hoping to end it all on that day, by doing the only thing he knows how to do. Destroying. He wants to completely obliterate the Prospitian kingdom, until all that remains is ash.

You would rather the situation not come to that. All of those innocent people would be lost, including your girl with the green eyes…

But, strangely enough, when you try to conjure up the hazy image of her from your childhood, a different pair of green eyes graces your thoughts. That servant girl, Kanaya, had such lovely eyes. You only spoke to her for a short time, but you can't seem to stop thinking about her. She was oddly well-spoken for someone of her class. You hadn't thought anything of it in the heat of the moment, but now that you pause to consider, you're suddenly aware of the strange feeling she gave you. Like she was hiding something, deep inside. Something like magic, maybe? But that's ridiculous. A servant girl wouldn't have magic powers. Any child that showed anything even similar to magic was taken by the royal family at a young age and trained to be a proper mage. So, no, you decide that Kanaya can't have magic.

You also decide that you need to get your priorities in order.

Here you are, standing in the middle of the secure weapons fault, and all you can do is think about some servant who doesn't even belong to you. She doesn't even live in this kingdom, for God's sake.

What you really need to be thinking about is a plan. A way to win the war without turning Prospit's lovely golden fields red with blood.

You need a way to get inside the minds of the Prospitian rulers, to figure out what they're going to do, and use that information properly. Unlike what your dad wants to do. And, suddenly, you realize how you're going to do it.

Sollux Captor, the ex-head mage of the Dersite court, can see into the future. Well, more or less. He's a Mage, so he _can_ see into the future. With the proper help. He's a Doom user, which means that he can see horrible outcomes for every decision, but not necessarily how to fix the problem. It drove him insane - especially after his visions showed him the death of the girl he loved, Aradia Megido - and he fled to the mountains to live out the rest of his empty life in solitude. He's probably still there. He is only 22, after all.

You know that, if a Mage as powerful as him could successfully pull off a fraymotif with a Time user and a Seer, he could definitely see into the future clearly enough to tell you how to win this war. Seers, you know, don't really have magic energy for themselves - most of their powers can only be used when linked with another magic user. Which, luckily, is what a fraymotif is. It's melding mind and soul until your magic is one with another's.

But, where are you going to find a Time user _and_ a Seer? Magic users are so rare these days. You know that Dave is a Time user, but he won't help - he's forever tangled in your father's web, and has been for as long as you can remember. Nothing short of a miracle could make his complete devotion to your father change. But, maybe, you won't need him.

You rush out of the royal armory and down the marble hallway. You have only one destination in mind and, unlike all the other times you've ever visited the library, this time you don't have time to stop and browse and take your own sweet time.

You rush into the expansive room and, not slowing down, hurry to the ominously dark corner in the back of the room. You reach out experimentally to touch one of the books on the aforementioned dark shelf - which contrasts greatly with the lightness of the rest of the room - and immediately yank your hand back as it shocks you. Your hand is now red and the room smells faintly of singed flesh, but you don't mind.

You smile. This section is exactly what you need. Somewhere in this vast collection of dark magic books, there's one with the spell you need. A spell to bring fallen mages back to life. In other words, necromancy. The forbidden magic.

 **John's P.O.V, Somewhere in the Prospitian Countryside**

Your name is John Egbert, and you think that this plan is bound to work. Or, rather, that's what you keep telling yourself as you follow Jade - _Jace_ , you mentally correct yourself - through the crowded streets of the Prospitian market. This plan has so many holes that you're amazed you can still see it - but it's all you have. What other options are there, really? You know that your father is too broken to properly lead the military anymore, and if you don't hurry, then the Dersites could find out all of your secrets from Karkat. Or, worse, they could realize that he'll never talk and kill him.

You shudder at the thought. That is absolutely _not_ something that you can allow to happen. Not in a million years, not in exchange for the war to come to an end, and not for all the gold in the world. You owe it to Karkat to do your best to protect him, as he has been doing for you ever since he was assigned to be your personal knight.

You sigh fondly at the memory. God, was it really only ten years ago that you met him? So much has changed. He's changed.

 _You had been standing in the coronation chamber for about five minutes and you were already bored. But, then again, you were six, so it wasn't as though you'd had a lot of practice pretending to be interested. There wasn't even anything important happening. At least not in your opinion. All that was happening was a bunch of knights who had completed their training were being knighted by your father. It was just one after the other in a never ending line, and you were amazed that your father could find something different to say about every single one of them._

 _Your attention was pulled away from the formal proceedings when a boy much older than you tapped on your shoulder. You looked up at him - so tall compared to your undeveloped six year old body - and he hastily dropped into a low bow. You giggled, and he straightened back up sheepishly. "I'm Karkat Vantas." He said quietly, not wanting to interrupt the ceremony as he stared at you with dazzled eyes._

" _I'm John." You replied, still smiling. You didn't know what it was about this kid, but you liked it._

" _I'm not supposed to tell you this… John." He said your name awkwardly, and looked over his shoulder quickly to make sure that no one heard him address the Prince so informally. "But I've been selected to be your personal knight when I graduate." He said proudly, grinning widely down at you._

 _Instantly, your face lit up. To you, anyone was better than your current knight. You didn't even know his name. He wouldn't tell you. He would just stand near you 24/7 and refuse to speak. Ever._

 _You wrapped your little arms around his waist, hugging Karkat tightly. He was shocked, and didn't move for a long time, then he gingerly returned the hug._

 _You really couldn't care less about him being your knight. All you cared about was, for the first time in your life, you would have a friend._

The memory makes you frown. All it did was remind you that your friend is gone and in mortal danger. You quicken your pace, taking the lead now that you and Jade have left the crowded market behind you.

You keep walking, not stopping or slowing down even as the houses gradually become less and less frequent until, finally, you and Jade are walking alone on a dirt road. Around you, the golden stalks of wheat that give Prospit its golden color tower above your head. Behind and in front of you, the dirt road stretches endlessly into the horizon, and you sigh. This is going to be harder than you thought.

"John?" Jade speaks up suddenly, breaking the unfamiliar silence of the countryside. "Do you know where you're going?"

"No." You admit after a moment. "I just know who I need to see."

Jade raises an eyebrow skeptically. Clearly, that answer hadn't satisfied her. "We're going to see someone?" She asks in a tone that says she doesn't agree with this plan.

You just nod. "I was told by- a friend…" you can't bring yourself to say his name, "that we could get help from a mage. Gamzee, I think."

At the mention of his name, Jade's eyes dart nervously to the left. Now it's your turn to raise an eyebrow. "That sounds good." Jade says in a rush, nodding rapidly. "So where is he?" _She's hiding something_ , you realize with a start. But why would Jade hide something from you? Especially with the entire kingdom on the line.

You begin to ask her about it, but before the words can leave your mouth, the Breeze tugs on your sleeve. Apparently, after seeing Karkat go down, you were rendered unconscious. While that was happening though, your body was in motion, using the powers you had locked away for so long (but that's a story for another day). And who was in the driver's seat, one might ask? The Breeze, of course. The very wind itself, but more like you. More… human.

You motion for Jade to stay quiet, pulling her down to crouch next to you, and send the Breeze out to search the impressive wheat stalks for people. It goes swiftly, growing and spreading in all directions, as air is known to do.

When it hits something though, you scowl and tighten your fist, and pull sharply as though yanking a heavy invisible chain. The Breeze wraps itself around the small figure and pulls forward as you do, sending a young girl crashing through the wheat and landing in a heap on the rough dirt path.

She scrambles to her feet, brushing dirt and bits of wheat off of her stained pants. "I'm sorry for eavesdropping!" She says immediately, bowing multiple times as apologies tumble out of her mouth. "I know I shouldn't have, but we hardly ever get travelers on foot coming this way, and my job is so dull, and I was just so curious! Please, don't tell my boss!" She begs, looking close to tears.

You blink, caught off guard by her innocence. To you, she's just a child doing her job to earn money for a family of seven, but the Breeze curls defensively around you, so you keep your guard up. "Relax, we're not made." You say softly, and Jade nods in agreement. "What's your name?"

She straightens back up, and you find yourself frowning as you take in her skinny frame and raggedy clothes. You decide that you don't like it. Not at all. "My name is N-Nepeta." She says finally, unsure of your motives. "Nepeta Leijon."

"Well, Nepeta," Jade cuts in, stepping in front of you to assert her authority. You notice that she's deepened her voice, and though it sounds odd to you, it doesn't seem that far off from what a boy her age should sound like. "We're in a hurry; do you by chance know where we could find a man named Gamzee?"

Nepeta's eyes light up and she smiles, clearly happy to be of assistance. "Yes, of course! He comes down to my boss' mill to buy bread!" She giggles, almost bashfully. "He's very nice, even to us workers." She turns her back to you, pointing down the long road towards the way you were walking. "I've seen his house on deliveries. Just follow the road until you see a small path to the left, and that should take you directly to him!"

You smile with relief, patting her head affectionately. The Breeze whispers that this situation is wrong - too convenient - but you ignore it. Right now, this lead is all you have, suspicious or not. "Thank you, so much, Nepeta." You say honestly. Turning to Jade, you say, "We should hurry, it'll be night time soon."

She nods, and the two of you take off down the road, leaving Nepeta behind as she watches you go with a smile. Once you're gone though, her smile drops into a deep scowl. Your arrival isn't good for her. Not at all.

Reaching into the folds of her fake workers outfit, she pulls out a thick piece of parchment and begins to write.

 _To His Royal Highness of Derse, King Dirk Martha Strider. Dersite Scout #5 reporting. There has been an interesting development on road #10. One I think you will find most convenient..._

 **Dave's P.O.V., In the Dersite Dungeons**

"Are you ready, David?" Your father asks you carefully, clapping a hand on your shoulder. You shrug his hand off, as you're expected to do, and nod.

"Of course. You've run over the steps five times, had me practice on about seven different guards, and even gave me this necklace that absorbs any and all magic." You lift the glowing pink crystal off your chest and grimace in distaste. Still, as much as you don't like it, it does serve an important purpose. You're not sure if your captive is a magic user or not, and you'd rather not find out the hard way.

Your father sighs, a matching crystal hanging around his neck. "You can never be too careful in situations like these, son." He says, and you get the feeling that he's talking from experience. You don't ask, though. If there's one thing your father hates, it's people questioning him.

Instead, you straighten your posture. "It'll be easy." You insist, seeing the doubtful look on his face. "I am _quite_ the negotiator."

He laughs, and shakes his head. "I suppose we'll just have to let the results speak for themselves, hm?" He points to the end of the hallway, at the most guarded door in the dungeon. "I'll be in there, questioning the captain of the guard, if you need me."

Of course, he's only saying that as a formality. You're expected to carry out this task perfectly fine by yourself. You shouldn't need your father at all.

You nod to the door across the hall from his, which has just two fewer guards than his. "And I'll see what I can do to get the Prince's personal guard to crack."

That's all that needs to be said. Your father doesn't need to tell you what an important milestone this is - what high honor and heavy responsibility he's entrusted you with. He doesn't need to. You already know. You've waited your entire life to earn his trust, and now you're going to prove that you deserve it. No matter how far you have to go.

The two of you walk down the hall together in a steely silence, and then split up, your father stepping into his chamber and you hesitating before doing the same. As you step inside, the crystal around your neck begins to glow softly and throb from its place on your chest. You smirk, looking up at your captive. A magic user, then. Good to know.

He growls at you as you step inside, and you can't blame him. You are dressed head to toe in purple and black, and he probably isn't very fond of the colors on the Dersite flag. Neither are you, actually, but a uniform is a uniform.

His name eludes you for a moment, but you remember it after a pause. Karkat Vantas. It's an interesting name, not that it really matters, considering his position. He's been chained to the wall, his hands cuffed near his head, and his legs pinned down in a similar fashion. As an extra precaution, there's even a collar around his neck, attached to a chain that is firmly cemented in the wall behind him. So there's no chance of escape for him. You like that.

"So, Vantas," you begin casually, walking up to him until you're so close that he can touch you. Or, well, he could if his hands weren't bound, "our sources tell me that you were the Prospitian Prince's personal knight." He opens his mouth, probably to snap out some witty retort, but you continue. "And as such, you must have been privy to some top-secret information."

Karkat scoffs, rolling his eyes. "You're not the first person to try and get me to talk Strider." He growls. You must be showing more emotion than you thought, because he continues. "Yeah, that's right, I know who you are." He narrows his eyes. "And the fact that they brought in a Prince to do this is just insulting. Am I not worthy of professionals?"

You remain as impassive as always, staring at him with a displeased expression. "You've got quite the mouth for someone in your position." You remark casually, walking back and forth in front of him. "We'll fix that, though, so don't worry."

He rolls his eyes again, and you scowl. Either he really isn't taking your threats seriously, or he's better at hiding his thoughts than even you are. Which isn't possible, so you're going to have to come up with a way to show him you mean business. Then you get the perfect thought, and step ever closer, smirking as his lips curl into a snarl. "You know, Kitten-"

"Karkat." He interrupts, glaring at you with such intense hatred that you almost have to back up. "Karkat Vantas."

You shake your head. "Not the point. Anyway, I was told by my father that I can do anything to you if I think it will help us get the information we need. So I can't kill you, of course. But the other captured Prospitian soldiers are fair game." He tenses at the mention of his comrades, and your smirk widens. You've got him. "I can torture you, cut off body parts, and even use hypnosis until you actually believe that giving us information is the right thing to do." You pause. "But I'm not going to."

He arches an eyebrow at you, obviously more than a little confused. You don't blame him. It's not every day that you're captured by your worst enemy and then told that they don't want to harm you, after all.

"I'm going to use the method that will be easiest for both of us." You say, turning your back to him. "Well, for me, anyway. But I'm sure you'll grow to love it, too. I'm going to use," you then turn to look at him, smirking devilishly, "pleasure."

Karkat tilts his head to the side, more confused than before, and you almost laugh. He's quite innocent for a knight of such high rank. You're certain that he's had to kill more than his fair share of assassins, late at night when his Prince is fast asleep and oblivious. Karkat has seen things, and none of them are good. You decide that it would probably be easier and save a lot of time to just show him what you mean.

You reach down (easy, since he's at the perfect height), and put your hand on the inside of his thigh. If you moved up, even just a little bit, you'd be touching his most private body part.

He tenses immediately at your touch, and tries to jerk away, though he only succeeds in rattling the chains holding him in place. You find the fearful look on his face to be very cute, and you move your hand up, applying steady pressure until he lets out a breathless gasp. He shivers - from disgust or pleasure, you can't tell - as you begin to stroke him slowly, keeping eye contact the whole time.

You can see the mix of emotions on his face. Agony, despair, and hatred, but also pleasure and acceptance. He knows that there's no way out of this, and that he might as well accept your touch, but he insists on fighting it. A fight he's quickly losing, but a fight nonetheless, and you don't like it. You're going to make sure that by the time you're done with him, there's nothing left of his strong will.

You continue stimulating him for a few more minutes - until you can feel him tense and getting ready to release - and then you suddenly stop and pull away. Karkat lets out a small whimper of displeasure, much to his mortification, and you chuckle. You lean in, whispering into his ear, "Ready to talk?" But he shakes his head, unable to speak just yet.

You shrug, and begin to pull back, when a thought occurs to you. On a whim, you lean in and bit down on his neck. Hard. He yelps at the sharp pain, and his hips buck against your leg. You smile, satisfied with today's progress, and walk over to the door.

"Until you start talking, neither of us is getting what we want." You tell him while you wait for the guards to unlock the door. "You don't get release, and I don't get to see the end of this war."

Karkat looks up at you, a quite defeat in his eyes. "Go to hell." He snaps hoarsely, but the passion that had been in his voice the first time he spoke is no longer there. You smile to yourself. He'll be unrecognizable by the time you're done with him.

"See you there." You give a little two-fingered salute as the door opens. "But until then, I'll see you tomorrow… Kitten." You say as you step through the door.

This time, he doesn't correct you.

* * *

 **A/N: Wow, this was fun to write when I should've been doing math. I'm sorry for the DaveKat all non-shippers. The good news is, it might not be endgame. I haven't decided yet. RoseMary will be, though.**


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